"We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." - President Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Volunteers: People who devote time to the Red Cross, Boys and Girl Scouts, 4H, Rotary, Lions Clubs, the USO, volunteer firefighters and the many, many other organizations that help make the United States an amazing place to live and work.

Hobbyists: Another thing I like is the number of Americans who take time to do things like restoring old cars, set up model railroads, make and run radio controlled cars and airplanes, chunk pumpkins, participate in the Society for Creative Anachronism and the thousands of other activities that make us all more interesting.

The all-voluntary military.

Engineers: The people who make it work. Mostly in a seamless fashion.

Innovators: Having a vision of the how things could be and then acting on it.

Doctors and nurses and the whole medical world. The medical payment system may be a mess, but they are saving more lives that ever and treating things that most of us have never ever heard of until we get it.

People who enjoy taking their work seriously. Nothing makes my day more than finding that person who knows what they are doing, enjoys doing what they do and then does it so well that every one they touch with their work feels better.

Leaders who understand that leadership is a service,making sure that the people you serve as a leader have the tools and training needed to do their jobs. Leaders who are so good that they live up to Sun Tzu's “A leader leads by example, not by force”

Monday, December 23, 2013

Way back in 2008 we were discussing the shaping of the U.S. Navy fleet at The Time is Right for Revolution and the links therein. Part of that discussion follows:

CDR Salamander's Maritime Strategy Monday: the Revolt of the Commanders ought to stir up discussion - though I am not sure how many "flag bound" O-6s are reading blogs critical of the group think that has put us where we are. I do know that when on exercises it was common to acknowledge that some issues were "too hard" or "too time consuming" to let them dominate the exercise, though in real life one will not be able to "assume away" such problems.

In my view, during my last days being involved with such matters, we were not training senior officers in how to fight and how hard that fighting is against a determined enemy who has had time to build forces designed to exploit your well-known weaknesses.

So when CDR S calls for a "commander's revolt" I understand his frustration. And note that John Boyd paid for his revolution heavily while lesser men gained from his insight. The would-be revolutionaries need to understand the risks.

These commanders need some political help from someone who understands that we shouldn't have billion dollar ships doing missions poorly that could be done better by having many more mission-designed ships. To use a famous Navy phrase, "any ship can be a mine sweeper once." Real minesweepers can be reused after they have swept a channel- multibillion dollar "capital ships" cannot.

Given the promise of "network centric warfare," merely connecting a few huge platforms under-utilizes the potential for linking many small ships for greater tactical flexibility. Or, as Captain Wayne Hughes writes in Fleet Tactics and Coastal Combat (p.286):

We have seen that the number of ships is the most valuable attribute that a fleet can have. We also saw that many small ships offer more tactical flexibility... The U.S. Navy is composed of large, highly capable ships, many of which have area defense capability. It was for defense more than for offense that the American navy sacrificed numbers for quality.*

The asterisk is to his footnote:

Another reason is because of the economies of scale. A large ship with three times the displacement of a small one will have three or more times the payload and probably only cost twice as much. Sometimes the ship must be big to carry and operate its payload, modern carrier aircraft illustrate. A large ship is also more comfortable for long cruises in many kinds of weather.

Hughes needs to be listened to. Sometimes the economies of scale and crew comfort need to be weighed against other factors, like winning wars and not being afraid to send your expensive ships into harm's way.

Where are we five years on? We are still having the same discussion - albeit the number of Littoral Combat Ships (more properly, "Littoral Drone Carriers" or LDCs) is growing. Exactly where the vast drone force is right now is unclear, though drones ought to be cheaper and easier to build in most ways - just turn the job over to robots as GM has done to most of its automobile manufacturing.

Smaller, faster, cheaper and dispersed in the theater where that matters (Southeast Asia) ought to be the U.S. Navy mantra for the next few months and years.

Not to the exclusion of the big gray hulls - as an adjunct force, not a replacement.

*** China’s process of gaining Far Seas experience is not simply one of increasing operational naval capabilities—it is far broader. Antipiracy operations conveniently enable China both to respond to internal and external pressures to act on the international stage and to raise significantly the overall ability of its increasingly powerful navy. The Gulf of Aden has challenged Beijing to adjudicate among multifarious, often contradictory, domestic and international forces. As the first major window into China’s Far Seas operations and its approach thereto, it foreshadows how Beijing will take its place in the world as its interests expand and its actions impact others more strongly.

All the President's men (?) seem to have decided what the focal point of my Christmas season ought to be:

While the image has received enough well-deserved ridicule on Twitter and elsewhere to fill a large chunk of the an internet archive, of more concern to me is this government's idea that all of my holidays are now fair game for discussions of governmental policy.

Trust me, if there are discussions of government policy in my house over the holidays, it will center on freedom from having the government advise of us what to "talk about."

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Looking for that last minute Christmas gift that says "I love you!" and yet isn't another useless trinket?

How about a disaster kit for the car? Yes, it's not sexy but . . . nothing says "I care" more.

For the car - well, if you want a completely insane list (very ,very complete) there is this.

For the rest of us, we need a kit tailored to our primary driving location and our driving plans. By "plan" I mean that if you intend to drive into the remote corners of Nebraska or Wyoming or driving the "loneliest road in America" in Nevada in the dead of winter or tour the great American deserts in the summer, you might want to pack a kit that will help you survive a problem 200 miles from nowhere.

On the other hand, if you are driving local roads you may need something - uh - less. So, if I may,

here's my list of things I like to see in a car or car trunk:

Cell phone and charger

Jumper cables

Mechanics gloves

Space blanket

Poncho

First aid kit

Multi-tool

Duct tape

Spare tire, lug wrench and a little board to put under the jack

Kitty litter

A quart of oil

Extra engine coolant

An LED lantern and a couple of LED headlamps with extra batteries

A roadside reflector

A couple of reflective safety vests

4 pints of drinking water

A few zip lock baggies (gallon size)

About 6 tie wraps/cable ties

About 10 feet of plastic sheeting

Some plastic garbage bags

Ice scraper

A roll of paper towels

All of that should fit nicely into one of those plastic milk carton things.My estimated cost for al the stuff (except the phone) is under $130. You could probably do it for less.

It's not a diamond necklace, but if things get rough for your loved one, this stuff may help them more than a piece of jewelry.

Two bronze statues separated by the Atlantic Ocean commemorate the achievements of World War II American roughnecks. The first stands in Dukes Wood near the village of Eakring in Nottinghamshire, England. Its twin greets visitors at Memorial Square in Ardmore, Oklahoma.The seven-foot bronze statues, separated by more than 2,400 miles, commemorate 44 Americans who – during a critical time during the war – produced oil. They drilled in Sherwood Forest.

Why?

England’s principal fuel supplies came by convoy from Trinidad and America and were subjected to relentless Nazi submarine attacks. Meanwhile, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel’s rampaging North African campaign threatened England’s access to Middle East oilfield sources.

So, the Brits sought some American help and got 44 oil field workers ("roughnecks" in U.S. oil field terms), whose efforts helped create an "unsinkable tanker" during Britain's hours of great need for oil and its products to fight and to survive the war which had been raging for 3 years . . .

Using innovative methods, the Americans drilled an average of one well per week in Duke’s Wood, while the British took at least five weeks per well.

Submarine warfare, an American oil roughneck buried in a military cemetery in England and all of it a secret . . .

Monday, December 16, 2013

Below is a YouTube video of Mr. Singer leading a discussion with Admiral James Stavridis, USN (ret), Ms, Helen Greiner (iRobot co-founder), Col. Greg Conti, USA (Cyber Research Center, USMA) and investor/entrepreneur Yossi Vari on the topic of "Beyond Software: The Future of Conflict" - which makes some very interesting points. Enjoy!

For a maritime power with global requirements, what is the role of the small ship in times of peace and war?What are the tradeoffs between quantity and capability, size and range, survivability and affordable?Does the US Navy need a high-low mix or a Strike Group-Flotilla mix?

Where do our national requirements influence how we build our Fleet vs. the process other nations build theirs?Do we have a sustainable path towards a balanced Fleet, or are we sailing on based on outdated charts?

To discuss this and more for the full hour will be returning guest U.S. Naval War College Center for Naval Warfare Studies Dean, Captain Robert C. Rubel, USN (Ret.)

15 Dec 13 at 5pm. Join us live or listen to the show later by clicking here

A Chinese naval vessel tried to force a U.S. guided missile warship to stop in international waters recently, causing a tense military standoff in the latest case of Chinese maritime harassment, according to defense officials.The guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens, which recently took part in disaster relief operations in the Philippines, was confronted by Chinese warships in the South China Sea near Beijing’s new aircraft carrier Liaoning, according to officials familiar with the incident.“On December 5th, while lawfully operating in international waters in the South China Sea, USS Cowpens and a PLA Navy vessel had an encounter that required maneuvering to avoid a collision,” a Navy official said.

“This incident underscores the need to ensure the highest standards of professional seamanship, including communications between vessels, to mitigate the risk of an unintended incident or mishap.”***The encounter appears to be part of a pattern of Chinese political signaling that it will not accept the presence of American military power in its East Asian theater of influence, Fisher said.“China has spent the last 20 years building up its Navy and now feels that it can use it to obtain its political objectives,” he said.Fisher said that since early 2012 China has gone on the offensive in both the South China and East China Seas.

China has made major claims to the South China Sea and this is one way to fight back.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

If you, like me, couldn't get to DC for USNI Defense Forum Washington 2013, read about and watch it here. One of the keys to keeping a strong Navy it to work hard at telling the country why we need a large and competent force - not letting, in the words of Royal Navy Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, "sea blindness" rob of us of a key element of national and international security.

Rep Randy Forbes (R, Va) spoke and wonders:

“When I look at what we’re doing in national defense today, I can’t help but think back to the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said that this country is still the best hope for the world, a treasure beyond comparison,” said Forbes, “and I wonder if we’re doing everything today to defend and protect it.”

There is much much more at the link.

Here's an interesting quote from SecNav Ray Mabus:

The Secretary explained that the past 4 1/2 years has afforded him a unique opportunity to observe the Navy and Marine Corps, and he shared that perspective with the audience. “The value of the Navy and Marine Corps is as apparent today as it was when the nation was founded,” he said. “The framers of the Constitution understood that we have to maintain a constant and persistent presence,” he explained, recounting the many campaigns in which the services have fought through the nation’s history. “In each of those the American Navy has maintained control of the seas and guaranteed freedom of navigation between those wars, and peaceful free trade, and in doing so, has underwritten its contribution to the growth of the world economy.” The Navy responds to every call, whether combat or humanitarian aid disaster relief, recalling recent aid missions to the Philippines, Japan, and Haiti. “It’s one of the things that we do, and we are very good at it.” In fact, he noted, the US receives requests for humanitarian assistance every two weeks -- and is the only naval service in the world being capable of performing that role. That also precludes the need for securing overflight rights or permission to base. Instead, he notes, “We [the Navy] don’t have to come in from anywhere; we are already there.”How do we keep that presence? SECNAV Mabus explained that it requires four things: people, platforms, power, and partnerships. People are first because they are the most important asset, as the machines can’t operate without them. “We push responsibility, and we push authority down,” he explained. “We expect from junior sailors and junior officers great decision-making. We expect them to do these incredibly complex jobs and we expect them to do it every single day.”With regard to platforms, the Secretary observed, “at some point quantity becomes a quality all its own. We have arrested the decline of the fleet.” ****

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

I was watching television the other day when one of the characters got dunked in water and then began running into the woods on a cold day. The plot point was that this child was going into "hypothermia." "Well," I asked myself, "how long does it take to go from being okay to hitting that hypothermic wall?"

When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body’s stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know it is happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.Hypothermia is most likely at very cold temperatures, but it can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water.Victims of hypothermia are often (1) elderly people with inadequate food, clothing, or heating; (2) babies sleeping in cold bedrooms; (3) people who remain outdoors for long periods—the homeless, hikers, hunters, etc.; and (4) people who drink alcohol or use illicit drugs.Recognizing HypothermiaWarnings signs of hypothermia:Adults:- shivering, exhaustion- confusion, fumbling hands- memory loss, slurred speech- drowsinessInfants:- bright red, cold skin- very low energy

Can vigorous exercise stop hypthermia? Sure, up to the point where you stop and your sweat begins to cause a chilling effect. After running a marathon in freezing weather I couldn't seem to get warm fast enough. Knowing what I know now, I would have changed to dry clothes much quicker than I did.

As some long-time reader may know, that CIMSEC post was not my first foray into trying to figure out a way to pay less to get more to meet a problem identified by former Navy Secretary Winter back in 2008. One of my efforts was to suggest an anti-piracy force on the cheap, How to Make the Navy Bigger, Sooner, Cheaper

Too much ocean, too many shorelines, too many needs, too few ships. What's a navy to do?

The high-speed experimental boat Stiletto

Secretary Winter wants analysis of the right ships to build and a more efficient process to build them. All of which is fine, but - there is a faster, cheaper path to get bigger, sooner at lower cost - putting hulls in the water while awaiting that analysis.Here's my modest proposal:

Take $250 million dollars and put it aside;

Of that $250 million, use $100 million to buy or lease 50 to 100 offshore crew boats as currently used in the offshore oil industry (many of them are reaching the end of their expected useful life in the industry - you might be able to pick up some bargains).

Invest $50 million in refurbishing the boats and in getting weapons for their decks. Turn them into "navalized" vessels. Make 22 knots the minimum acceptable speed.

Do not try to make these low cost littoral combat ships into battleships for all conditions. Talk to the LCDRs who will be squadron commanders and the LTs who will be the commanding officers about what they would need to provide a presence, fight in a low threat environment against modestly armed pirates and the like, support occasional missions ashore and interdict drug smuggler semi-submersibles. Give them what they need in terms of state of the art comms using COTS (heck, load put a communication van on board if so that no time is wasted trying to rewire the little ships more than needed). Put in some comfortable berthing suited for the sea states in which these things (I call them Special Purpose Vessels or SPVs) will operate.

Under no cirmcumstance should the total U.S. Navy investment in any single SPV exceed $2 million, excluding the cost of adding weapons systems (adding a M-1 Abrams, for example) and the personnel costs.

Make the project a 12 month "emergency" - and kill the bureaucracy that would ordinarily take on this job - find a hard charging Captain, make him or her report directly to SecNav and tell them what the mission and the budget will be. Then get out of the way except for monthly status reports.

Over the horizon radar system

Find a group of O-3s who are ready for command and who can think for themselves and train the heck out of them by letting them go to sea in the type of ships that you are acquiring, let them learn from the masters of current offshore supply and crew vessels. Find some O-4s who can take hold of the idea of being a squadron commander of a 5 ship squadron and train them in mission like that being conducted by the Africa station.

Borrow some Army Rangers or fleet Marines and train them in the ship boardings, small boat ops, shipboard firefighting and ship defense. Treat them like the Marines of old. Stress people skills appropriate for counter-terrorism work.

Lease some ships to be used as "tenders" for the SPVs - small container ships on which the containers can be shops, supply warehouses, refrigerator units, etc. Bladders for fuel. Use the Arapaho concept to set up a flight deck for helo ops.

Be generous with UAV assets - use the small "net recoverable" types.

Don't limit the small boat assets to RHIBs. Experiment with M-ships, small go-fasts captured from drug dealers, whatever. The idea is to have boats that can operate in one sea state worse than the pirates, drug smugglers, etc.

Falklands war - container ship landing deck

Use the MIUW van concept for adding some sonar capability. TIS/VIS is a necessity.

Start with a couple of squadrons, tell your O-6 that you want them ready in 6 months for operational testing. Unleash the budget dollars. For op testing, send one squadron off to the coast of Somalia for anti-pirate work. Send the other off Iraq. Put those expensive great big cruisers and destroyers currently in the area to work doing blue water stuff.Paint Coast Guard like stripe on the hull of the SPVs - but make it Navy blue. If the Coasties want to join in, give them a boat and paint the stripe orange. Make the SPVs highly visible. Nothing deters crime like a visible cop on the beat.

I have made some spelling corrections and other modifications from my original post - and would probably add "offshore Gulf of Guinea" as a training zone for the force.

Further, the rapid development of drones of various types opens up lots of new possibilities for using this on-the-cheap "influence squadrons" (with apologies to CAPT Hendrix) to try out new approaches to littoral operations or inshore work. As Admiral Harvey pointed out during his recent appearance on Midrats (starting about24:20), the littorals are a complex world and even non-state actors are in possession of weapons capable of striking out at ships off shore. If you read CDR Salamander's post on a training accident in which a target drone managed to smack into a cruiser The CHANCELLORSVILLE Shrug it is worth reading the comments of Steeljaw Scribe concerning the potential issues facing ships operating close to shore facing a high speed missile threat:

What the BQM did isn't trivial by a long stretch...but consider this - take a 6,000lb+ telephone pole that has been burning liquid fuel to push it to between Mach 2.5 - 3.0; even if the large HE/SAP warhead doesn't fuse and detonate imagine the damage it would cause if C-ville had been hit in the same spot. As for the "shootshootshootshoot" the reality is if you are relying on ownship sensors and kinetic kill, you won't get past the "Oh Shit.." preamble (do the math -- 60-70 nm @ Mach 2.5 - 3.0 and 100 ft or below. And let's just say there are multiple missiles inbound because only Hollywood TTP shoots missiles in a stream raid of 1. We are fast moving beyond the capabilities of chemical-based weaponry to address an extant near-hypersonic threat in the terminal kinetic realm. We absolutely must be there to address the hypersonic threat that will begin to manifest itself before the end of this decade. Fortunately we have folks working on a number of solutions -- but I fear for I also hear a lot of whistling past the graveyard, especially at certain pay grades/GS/SES levels. w/r, SJS

CDR S and I have discussed before the realities of the short reaction window available to ship drivers who operate in restricted waters. One possibility is to come up with technical fixes that allow you to move your force sufficiently offshore to create some breathing space and allow counter-battery fire to be employed. However, if you look at the realities of the world we live on, the areas we most need to operate in are not all in deep blue water with infinite sea room to operate in. Instead, they are mostly narrow seas in which stand-off capability may, in fact, take you out of the fight and moving into the restricted area exposes large ships to numerous threats.

As I note in the CIMSEC post, one benefit of the use of smaller, cheaper ships with lots of drones is the increase it causes in targeting to your opponent. Given that no one in the fight has an infinite number of bullets, forcing your opponent to have to make hard choices on what to shoot at can only be good thing.

Monday, December 09, 2013

Gunmen aboard a speedboat shot dead five members of a fishing crew in a mysterious attack in the seas of the southern Philippines, the coast guard said Saturday.The five were part of a fishing fleet off the troubled southern islands of Sulu when the gunmen attacked them on Friday, said coast guard spokesman Lieutenant Jomark Angue.Even as the five leapt overboard, the gunmen riddled them with bullets, then sped off. Only three of the bodies were recovered, he said.The attackers were suspected to be pirates Angue added. But it was unclear why they would attack the fishing boat crew.Law-enforcement sources said the attack might be part of an extortion attempt by armed groups operating in Sulu, an impoverished, heavily-forested group of islands.

In less than a month we will be firmly in the middle of the 2nd decade of the 21st Century. What path were we put on at the start 21st Century that got us here? How do we evaluate the right decisions, the neutral decisions, and the less than optimal calls of the last decade and a half? What lessons can we take away now in order to make decisions to best position the Navy on the approaches to 2030?Our guest for the full hour this Sunday to discuss this an much more will be Admiral John C. Harvey, Jr, USN (Ret). Almost a year since he joined the retired ranks, when in uniform Admiral Harvey was one of the of the more engaged, visible, and accessible Flag Officers of his generation - and in retirement he continues to be an influential voice.Admiral Harvey was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a 1973 graduate of the U S Naval Academy.In his thirty-nine year Navy career, he specialized in naval nuclear propulsion, surface ship and carrier strike-group operations and Navy-wide manpower management/personnel policy development.He commanded the USS DAVID R RAY (DD 971), the USS CAPE ST GEORGE (CG 71), the THEODORE ROOSEVELT Strike Group/CCDG-8 and also served as the Navy’s 54th Chief of Naval Personnel and as the Director, Navy Staff. Prior to his retirement from the Navy in November, 2012, Admiral Harvey served as Commander, US Fleet Forces Command. He now makes his home in Vienna, Virginia where he resides with his wife, Mary Ellen.

Join us live or, if you can't make it live, pick up the show later by clicking here.

Too bad the chief of their Navy didn't say exactly that. What he said was,

“While the Navy’s measures in the region enjoy a full deterrent and repelling power against threats, they are in line with maintaining regional security and pose no threat to the friendly states,” Sayyari said, addressing the foreign military attachés in Tehran on Tuesday.

I added the emphasis. As far I can tell, the definition of a "friendly" state was not given, but I assume North Korea is safe.

During the same speech, Rear Admiral Sayyari also indicated a planned transit of Iranian ships through the Mediterranean into the Atlantic. If they stay close to the shore, they ought to be able to use radar navigation the whole long way.

As the crow flies, it's about 3200 nautical miles from Bandar Abbas to Gibraltar. Ships are not crows, though, so it is somewhat longer sea voyage.

By way of reference, it's about 2200 nautical miles (as the crow flies) from San Diego to Honolulu and there are no stops along the way.

Wednesday, December 04, 2013

The first step in preparing for extremely cold weather consists of deciding whether you can make it to Florida before the storm hits.

In the alternative, the first step should consist of making plans well in advance of any storm.

Let's say you are in one of those states in which extreme winter weather is common or where ice storms and/or a few inches of snow are show stoppers. You may be housebound for several days. Electricity may go off. Your house will get cold and you may have to acknowledge that those little annoying creatures you have seen intermittently around are, in fact, your children.

A simple plan:
(1) Have enough water (see here). 3 gallons per person per day. Maybe a shelf with a cases of bottled water is a good idea.

(2) Have non-perishable food. Peanut butter and honey. Canned soups (get the kind that don't need to have water added!). . . tins of sardines, tuna fish, canned chicken, chili, mac and cheese . Plan on 5 days of living on your supplies including feeding those kids. Better make sure the kids will eat whatever you set aside. As a treat you can drink warm Jello. Buy a hand-powered can opener.

(3) Have some sort of alternate means of heating food and boiling water for coffee, tea or warm Jello. A camp stove is a good idea (use in well-ventilated areas). If you can get out to the charcoal grill or have a gas grill and can cook outside, well, there you go. Never ever use charcoal inside the house. If you use a camp stove, have some spare propane cylinders. Budget the use of the stove, because you may need it for a few days.

(4) Have flashlights, candle lantern (see here) and other light sources ready and have extra batteries and candles. Get an emergency radio - one with a "crank" to charge it and perhaps with a cell phone battery charger feature.

(5) Have plans to set up a "warm room" in which you and yours can huddle together while closing off the rest of your home. If you have an adequate supply of firewood (5 days?) then that might be the room with the fireplace in it. If you don't have enough firewood set aside, remember that when the fire goes out, lots of warm air goes up the chimney. Gather plenty of blankets, sleeping bags, comforters and the like. If you have space, it is not a bad idea to set up a camping tent as an internal shelter where you and yours (include the dogs and cats- they generate heat) can huddle together. Share sleeping bags or covers. Cuddle for warmth. As noted here:

If the power goes and you don’t have an alternative source of heat, then it’s time to go camping. Set up a tent in your living room and pile your family and pets inside under sleeping bags and blankets. The tent will keep your body heat trapped inside, and you’ll stay much warmer than you would in a large room. If you don’t have a tent, then you can easily make one out of blankets and furniture.

(6) Have lots of thick plastic sheeting, duct tape and nails. Just in case you lose a window or door or part of your roof, you can create an emergency patch.

(7) Have a supply of hand warmer packets. I like these especially if, for some reason, your kids are at home without your expert guidance because you can't get home. These things can generate some serious heat to help them hunker down until help arrives.

(8) Have practiced what to do well in advance of a storm so that even the kids understand how to protect themselves from freezing to death. The basics of setting up an inside the home camp ought to be easy enough- kids understand making tents using blankets and with an LED lantern and experience using hand warmer packets they ought to do fine. Make sure every knows how to change batteries in the lights and have a couple of spares about. Most kids old enough to be home alone can make up a warm bed and be taught that having drinking water and some food is vital (peanut butter is your friend). They do not need to light fires or use camp stoves unless they are old enough to do so safely. Having a Boy Scout in the house is a good thing. Also, it will help if the kids know that "old Mrs. Smith" is next door if they need an adult - in fact, Mrs. Smith may welcome the company. Probably a good idea to set up that relationship before the need arises, though.

(9) For goodness sake, ahead of time buy or create a cheap emergency toilet kit. Make sure you have toilet bags, wipes, etc. The alternatives are . . . poor.

(10) Take care of your pets. Food, water and the like. Dogs and cats are easier to deal with than fish and turtles given their habitats.

(11) Have fire extinguishers available. Nothing good happens when burning down the house in winter.

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

It could be the sign of a long winter in North Korea, as the wooly caterpillar heads begin to roll including Kim Jong-un's uncle, as reported by the BBC in "North Korea powerbroker 'dismissed'":

A powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been removed from his post, South Korean media reports say.Citing South Korea's intelligence agency, they say Chang Song-thaek, 67, lost his position as vice-chairman of the North's top military body.Two close aides were also executed for corruption, according to the reports.

The NORK management style seems to allow the leader to point the finger at everyone else for the failures and failings of major domestic and international issues.

The current Kim-in-Power wants to be make sure he is the "Un and only."

Monday, December 02, 2013

It occurs to me that we need to take the thinking that developed the WWII escort aircraft carrier (CVE) and model it down to a ship that is a “drone” carrier (and by “drone” I mean unmanned vessels of any type- surface, subsurface and aerial) – like the LCS only in the smaller economy version.After all, if the real weapons systems toted by the LCS are its drones, then virtually any vessel capable of lowering said drones into the water or into the air and hosting their command and control system can be a “drone carrier,” too. Such a ship becomes a “mother ship” for the drones.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

So, being the largely urban or suburban dwelling creatures we are, most of us in the U.S. are accustomed to having a ready source of clean drinking water at our beck and call. Turn a faucet handle and water flows.

But what if that water source stops due to a storm or earthquake or something else and you are without tap water? Heck, I saw that National Geographic"American Blackout". The show makes some valid points - like how valuable water becomes when you don't have any.

It is possible to live in South Texas or Florida or New York in the summer without air-conditioning, but you really, really need water.

You should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one gallon of water daily just for drinking however individual needs vary, depending on age, physical condition, activity, diet and climate.To determine your water needs, take the following into account:- One gallon of water per person per day, for drinking and sanitation.- Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more water.- A medical emergency might require additional water.- If you live in a warm weather climate more water may be necessary. In very hot temperatures, water needs can double.- Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person.

We all know that "3-days" thing is based on how quickly it is believed that outside help will arrive where you are to bring you aid. Best case. Experience says it takes longer. Think Katrina, Sandy, etc.

So, if you are somewhat of an optimist (look, if you are really an unbelievable optimist you probably aren't reading this anyway) then the the FEMA minimum might just do the trick for you. If you have four people in your family and they are all hale and well-met, then you ought to have 12 gallons of water stashed about your abode to cover those 3 days. Good luck with that.

If you lean to the pessimistic side you will want more.

How much more?

That depends, doesn't it?

Let's suppose you have an accessible and protected water heater that has a 40 gallon capacity. In an emergency that could be tapped (they all have spigots) and provide a family of 4 with enough water for about another 10 days. If your water heater is bigger, the more days you might have.

But let's go with the 3 day supply thing.

What should you be doing during those 3 days? Acquiring more water, that's what.

Depending on the distances involved in carrying water from its source to your base, it could be worth your time to experiment using the time-honored "carrying pole" so that two five gallon jugs of water are not ripping your arms from their sockets (see illustration nearby). As you may know, the handles on buckets are designed to hurt your hands. Save yourself such troubles.

If the nearest water is seawater, you will need to desalinate it. Small scale desalting can be done as described here, one cup at a time per day. But you can put out more than one such kit.

For nasty lake or river water, one option is to buy a portable distiller using heat, as described here, which will, it is asserted also work with sea water.

Avoid water with floating material, an odor, or dark color. Use saltwateronly if you distill it first. You should not drink flood water.

In the very worst case, it's time to think like a downed bomber crew, folks. Hit those pages of the survival manuals on water gathering. Here are the "water gathering" pages from the Army's FM 3-05-70 (pay no attention to the "!" in the Scribid title, it's just a cute glitch - but do pay attention to the content):

China sent its sole aircraft carrier on a training mission into the South China Sea on Tuesday amid maritime disputes with the Philippines and other neighbours and tension over its plan to set up an airspace defence zone in waters disputed with Japan.The Liaoning, bought used from Ukraine and refurbished in China, has conducted more than 100 exercises and experiments since it was commissioned last year but this is the first time it has been sent to the South China Sea.The Liaoning left port from the northern city of Qingdao accompanied by two destroyers and two frigates, the Chinese navy said on an official news website.While there, it will carry out "scientific research, tests and military drills", the report said."This is the first time since the Liaoning entered service that it has carried out long-term drills on the high seas," it added.

The real beneficiaries of this exercise by the PLAN in sending its sole refurbished aircraft carrier will be the U.S. submarine force and any other countries in the area who can get their diesel electric boats out to play in time.

Monday, November 25, 2013

So, what we are seeing (in addition to the alleged stealth fighter (which has already been properly mocked)), I think we may be seeing a new Iranian aircraft carrier system. Look at the picture above (from "Iranian Spotters" via The Aviationist via Pakistan Defense Forum, etc) and compare it to a U.S. aircraft being towed by a similar tow tractor below:

U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Todd Frantom

So, if the Iranians are being very, very truthful (are you holding your breath waiting for that?) and their F-313 is anything more than a large plastic model which lacks a steerable front wheel (see comments to The Aviationist post), wouldn't one expect it to be towed like the older U.S. Navy aircraft in the second photo?

Sure, unless the secret here is in the tow carts and the tractor pulling them. I think the real secret tech in this photo lies in those carts, which I suspect are some sort of launch device capable of getting an aircraft without a steerable front landing gear into the air. I mean, look at those tie downs - they have to restrain this heavy fighter from lifting off from those carts even as the "aircraft carrier" is headed uphill with two launch techs riding on the lead cart and the canopy propped open . . .

Notice how the identifier "Iranian Spotters" carefully is placed to conceal the special baggage cart - er- transporter wheel system - that's the technology the Iranians want to hide here. They have developed a special high speed aircraft launcher that saves aircraft weight (hey, no complicated front wheel stuff and saves fuel in getting planes airborne . . .)

I'm still working on a theory of how they get a plane to land back on the carts, but perhaps they just match speeds with the carts and tractor so the plane just drops into place.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

When one hangs up the uniform after decades of service, but still wants to contribute to their nations national security needs, what paths can that take? How does one find a path forward, and what are the keys to success?In a budgetary challenge not seen by the US military in two decades, what are the important "must haves" that need to be kept at full strength, and what "nice to haves" may have to be put in to the side?What are the legacy ideas, concepts, and capabilities that the Navy and Marine Corps need to make sure they maintain mastery of, and what new things are either here or are soon on the way that we need to set conditions for success now?Our guest for the full hour to discuss this and more will be Robert O. Work, Col. USMC (Ret), presently CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and former Undersecretary of the Navy from 2009-2013.After 27-years of active duty service in the Marine Corps, Work joined the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), where he focused on defense strategy and programs, revolutions in war, Department of Defense transformation, and maritime affairs. He also contributed to Department of Defense studies on global basing and emerging military missions; and provided support for the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review. During this time, Work was also an adjunct professor at George Washington University, where he taught defense analysis and roles and missions of the armed forces. In late 2008, Work served on President Barack Obama’s Department of Defense Transition Team. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois; and has Masters Degrees from the University of Southern California, the Naval Postgraduate School; and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Friday, November 22, 2013

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to First Lieutenant William H. Sanders, II (MCSN: 0-15606), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service while serving as a Reconnaissance Officer of Company D, First Battalion, Second Marines, SECOND Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands, on 21 November 1943. When intense fire from enemy shore emplacements inflicted heavy casualties on our forces as they waded toward the beach, First Lieutenant Sanders voluntarily prepared to attack the hostile positions with the aid of a Sergeant of his company. Bringing a 75-mm. pack howitzer into use and neutralizing the devastating fire of the first pillbox, he courageously rushed the position despite heavy fire from another emplacement and destroyed the pillbox with hand grenades, moving inside immediately thereafter to kill any remaining defenders. Under the accurate covering fire of the Sergeant, he then crawled twenty-five yards to the first of a group of four connecting emplacements and, completely destroying the position with TNT, unhesitatingly advanced on the second emplacement and annihilated the defenders with hand grenades. After throwing several grenades into the third pillbox, he entered the position and succeeded in killing one of the Japanese before he, himself, was seriously wounded. By his splendid initiative, First Lieutenant Sanders put out of action three enemy .25 caliber and two 13-mm. machine guns and one 20-mm. anti-boat gun. His indomitable fighting spirit and self-sacrificing devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.General Orders: SPOT AWARD, Commander in Chief Pacific Forces: Serial 0647

Mr. Sanders survived his wounds and went on to further service in the Pacific. After the war, he became a successful attorney in West Virginia.

Beechcraft Corp. is interested in possibly adding anti-submarine warfare to the list of special-mission capabilities of its King Air 350.According to a report from Defense News, the Wichita company has already been approached by several systems integrators about using the King Air as a platform aircraft for such missions.There is interest in the type of anti-submarine warfare capability such an aircraft could provide as the use of smaller submarines — such as those of Iran — is increasing.

The Defense News article also mentions the use of such aircraft in locating "drug subs" . .. .

Boeing Image

Mini-submarine numbers are on the rise. United Arab Emirates Navy chief Rear Adm. Ibrahim al Musharrakh recently told the Gulf Naval Commanders Conference that Iranian midget submarines are an imminent threat they were looking to counter.***Drug smugglers are also known to use mini-subs to transport narcotics in places like Latin America.

I'm guessing an ASW King Air would be less expensive (and admittedly, also would be less capable) than a P-8 Poseidon. On the other hand, they mostly would serve differing missions, wouldn't they?

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The (Iranian) Navy will dispatch the ultra heavy Tareq-class submarine, ‘Younus’ as part of the Navy’s 28th flotilla of warships to the countries of East Asia,” Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy for Operations Admiral Siyavash Jarreh said Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before the 28th flotilla left the harbor in Southern Iran.

Frigate Alborz

He underlined Iran's sophisticated technology in the naval industry, saying “The most complicated technology of world’s military equipment belongs to submarines.”The Admiral said that Alborz destroyer and Bandar Abbas helicopter-carrier warship will accompany Younus in this crucially important extraterritorial mission of the Iranian Navy.“The Navy’s 28th Flotilla will berth at Mumbai and Colombo ports during its voyage,” he added.

The "Tareq-class" is group of three the Iranian Russian-made Project 877 (NATO Kilo) class submarines.

Mumbai is an Indian ports and Colombo is a port in Sri Lanka.

The bragging about the Iranian tech is because the Iranians overhauled their subs and they still seem to work.

Monday, November 18, 2013

When setting up a blog post this morning, I was reminded that this blog is now over 10 years old.

Let me thank Blogger for letting us do this for free, my younger daughter for getting "Eaglespeak.us" for me as a gift, for the other 3 kids (who include a pair of Navy officers) for their support and to my very patient wife who has tolerated me doing "blog stuff" at odd hours and in odd places over the last 3600+ days.

And, of course, thanks to those of you who have taken the time to visit these pages. Who knew when that first post was put up way back when, what doors would be opened and what fun this has turned out to be?

I am humbled by the kind attention my ramblings have received.

My plan for the future is to continue to discuss the importance of international maritime security and to stress the importance of a strong Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard as part of the U.S. national security team. As you may notice, I occasionally chase after other shiny objects.

I am not going to replicate the excellent coverage of Operation Damayan, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps efforts in the Philippines as they "assist" with post-typhoon recovery efforts. For many great stories, the very best site is the Navy.mil Home Page.

It appears that about 1/10 of the U.S. fleet eventually will be participating in these efforts. Unlike a hurricane hitting a major land mass in which over land transport may be restored, the Philippines presents a challenge since it consists of a huge number of islands and water transport is the key to normal life as well as to disaster relief efforts.

As with the "Christmas Tsunami" in 2003-2004, it's "logistics, logistics, logistics" that is the issue, and the U.S. fleet seems to be everyone's "first responder." While it is encouraging that Japan and so many other countries are pitching in their resources, the "international community" could, as I noted about 10 years ago, should really do some advance work in anticipation of what are, after all, common and frequent disasters:

The UN seems incapable of learning from its past failings. Why are there not ships preloaded with the sorts of emergency equipment that might be needed if a major earthquake hits Japan or the Philippines or Nicaragua? Why does the UN not have the humanitarian equivalent of the U.S. military's prepositioned ships? Load up their hulls with water purifiers, medicine, cranes, backhoes, fuel, generators, tents, food, heavy lift vehicles, jeeps, helicopters, field hospitals, etc. Then wait for the inevitable disaster. Have two or three sets of ships - South America, Asia, Africa.Surely the expense is well within the budgets of the nations who support the UN. If such a system were in place, the only issues would be sailing the ships and arranging to have the necessary aid personnel arrive to marry up with their equipment. Instead, we have the incredible delays caused by the UN having to seek emergency funding from donor nations and then arranging for ships and then loading the ships and then sailing the ships.

I understand the way the UN operates that it is rarely necessary to justify the high salaries of UN employees, but if it was necessary, it would be interesting to see if they have a disaster contingency plan worth a portion of that pay that involves something other than, "Announce disaster in horrific terms. Wait for the U.S. to respond. Claim credit for responding."

The humanitarian situation in the areas devastated by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) is catastrophic. Almost 13 million people are affected, including some five million children. 4 million men, women and children have been displaced, many desperate for food, safe drinking water, basic shelter and sanitation.

Existing information and field observations suggest that the most immediate threats to life are (in rough order of urgency):- Lack of safe drinking water- Lack of shelter- Trauma injuries, especially if untreated- Other acute medical conditions (including contagious diseases) if left untreated- Disruption of treatment for severe acute malnutrition and for severe chronic disease - Insufficient food- Lack of sanitation and personal hygiene items- Lack of household items and supplies (like fuel), especially for preparing food

Medium-term threats to health, dignity and security include:- Lack of access to primary and specialised health care- Moderate acute malnutrition- Psycho-social malaise- Disruption of education, entailing loss of protective daytime environment for children- Disruption of livelihoods, which will worsen general deprivation and add to humanitarian needs as soon as coping mechanisms have been exhausted.

My highlights are to point out the key logistics issues.

I attach the plan because I'll be darned after my hasty reading if I can find any reference to the U.S. ( or any other country's) civil-military contribution in the Plan. I am prepared to be corrected.

EagleSpeak

About EagleSpeak

The main focus of this blog is maritime security. Other matters may appear. I am a retired attorney and a retired Navy Reserve Captain (Surface Warfare). Opinions expressed herein are my own. Sometimes I have the experience to back them up. Your opinions may vary. Don't panic. Feel free to disagree, that's what free speech is all about.
Nothing contained herein should be confused as me giving legal advice to anyone. If you are confused, welcome to the club. All mistakes herein are my fault. I have sufficient academic credentials to be dangerous to myself and to others.
Comment moderation is at my discretion, so your comments may never appear. You can start your own blog for free and comment there all you want. I enjoy a healthy debate, but not arguing with trolls. If you can't comment without using intemperate language, go someplace else.
Under the header: USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) Dec. 17, 2013. The guided missile destroyer was named after Lt. (SEAL) Michael Murphy, a Medal of Honor awardee who was killed in action June 2005. (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign Joshua Flanagan/RELEASED)